


Fresh Roses In The Garden

by OriliumButtons



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Blood, Body Horror, Café, Dream walker, Emotional self-harm, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Marshmallows, Multi, Muses, Nonbinary Character, Other, Panic Attacks, Poly Relationship, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Roses, Science Fiction, Secretary - Freeform, Self-Harm, Solar Punk, Solarpunk, Therapy, They're all married, Urban Fantasy, barista, delilah is a muse, elowen and lorelei are siblings, elowen blames themself, elowen is a treeblood, lemonade, leon is a moonblood, lorelei got attacked by a dog, plant people, rose gardens, rose jam, the nonbinary word for husband or wife is lifemate, toothrotting fluff, trans man
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2020-07-21 04:41:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19996021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OriliumButtons/pseuds/OriliumButtons
Summary: Elowen, Leon, and Delilah are all just trying to make their dreams come true. For Leon, although it might be a bad pun to "make all his dreams come true", he wants desperately to be a famous artist. For Delilah, it's quitting her unfulfilling secretary job for a big music company, and go out there and make a name for herself as a guitarist and a singer. There's only one thing stopping Elowen from living the peaceful life they always wanted: the thorns bursting from their skin because of their ptsd.Oh, and they're all married.urban fantasy/sci-fi/solarpunkall these characters were made from songs





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Elowen: "Fresh Roses" by Juke Ross  
> Delilah: "Hey There Delilah" by The Plain White T's  
> Leon: "Fireflies" by Owl City
> 
> Leon was also named after the main protagonist in LAIKA Studio's "Moon Girl"  
> I hope you enjoy!

Elowen squeezed the last lemons, sour juice burning their cuts as it flowed deliciously into the star sticker-covered mason jar. They hummed, pain from the slices not registering. They picked up the wooden spoon, nails tinking on the counter as they poured sugar and a kind of crushed autoluminescent mint. They capped it, shook to stir, placed it next to a green-tinted jar of fireflies where Leon was sitting at the large oak table. Elowen chose not to look at him. They knew he was wearing that concerned, tired look. They weren’t ready to be a burden to him tonight since he had the day off from the cafe.  
Delilah’s keys jingled at the doorway as she finally shifted to announce her presence. Elowen fought down a cringe. She had been watching from the doorway, they knew she was. They weren’t ready for this conversation yet.  
Delilah, dressed in violet and lilac, drew slowly from the door closer to Leon. They exchanged worried glances. “Hey there Delilah”, Leon whispered. She gave a soft smile as a silent greeting. Elowen braced themself on the table, open wounds staining the pristine lace tablecloth in deep dark blood. _A shame_ , they thought, _stained lace isn’t any good for collecting sunlight from the windows._  
Together, the two slowly and calmly approached closer. They both reached out gently for Elowen’s shoulder, Leon rubbing calming circles into their back while Delilah brushed brunette hair from their raw face. She cupped their cheek lovingly. Elowen, still averting eyes, leaned into their partners’ touches.

“We don’t understand, sunshine.” Delilah purred.

“I don’t either…”, their voice responded for them.

“Ok. That’s ok. Do you wanna go chill?” he asked, tentatively, as he very gently gave the back of their palm a squeeze.

They were now leaning into the two’s torsos. Comforting arms fit around them perfectly, stealing the breath out of them despite themself.

“We don’t have to talk about what happened right now. Let’s get under the covers and hold each other.” Delilah murmured into Elowen’s hair. _She really loves my hair, silly sap._

Leon guided them upstairs as she went to collect the spare blankets (which Leon calls Comfort Wraps). She, apparently, had also got those weird glow-in-the-dark marshmallows. Delilah scooped them up against their will and turned Elowen into a blanket burrito as Leon undid the tie to the green floral patterned curtains, revealing a heart-stopping sky full of stars. The attick was the best place to stargaze, afterall. They could already feel the humming of the solarglass calming them and buzzing underneath their skin.  
Leon was also trapped in blankets, but he accepted his fate. He blew a wisp of untamed dark curls from his face as Delilah wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. She grinned and hugged her husband and lifemate to her chest.  
“I’ve captured you, fools.”

“Rude of you to assume I didn’t want to be captured”, Leon said as Elowen wiggled and responded at the same time,

“When I get out of this I’m going to end you. Affectionately.”

Delilah silenced them with a tender kiss to the lips. Leon rested his forehead into the crook of their neck, kissing a mark into the tender flesh there. Delilah fed them both marshmallows all night, softly glowing in kaleidoscope comfort. They sang slow songs from their childhood and talked about everything and nothing all at once. And if either of them noticed Elowen shaking or staring off from time to time, no one needed to know.


	2. Thorns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> im really sorry. if blood, body horror, or panic attacks harm you, don't read.

“There isn’t any rain today.” They said to no one.

“It hasn’t rained in so long. My babies are dying.” The petals of the garden laid mostly on the soil. The leaves and branches drooped pitifully. Elowen sat in the still-soft petals.

 _Nevermind that it’s midnight_ , Elowen thought. Leon and Delilah had wrapped up their hands in pre-applied-medicine bandages, called Treatment Bandages, letting that and their natural healing factor do its work overnight. The two had given gentle kisses and worried looks, staying up late with Elowen until they were sure that the treeblood would be fine. Elowen knew that they had to open up soon to their husband and wife, but they hadn’t even done that for themself in 5 years. _They deserve better._

Thorns re-opened themselves on their palms, breaking through both skin and into the fabric. They shoved the intruders back into them, and took a swig of lemonade. It was too tart.

Their rose garden is a sanctuary, they refuse to soil the soil with their **dirtiness**. More thorns burst from knees held tightly to their chest, piercing the flesh close to the heart. They shuddered. Elowen bled unto the sacred soil, immediately forcing the thorns back. **They were doing it again. They were failing again, just like they failed their little sister-**

Each thought was pushed back into its fleshy sheethe until Elowen was choking. Velvet petals opened their lips, revealing a blooming rose. Elowen silently screamed as the “truth” finally hit them in the face full force.

**Lorelei was hurt because I didn’t see it coming in time. It’s. My. Fault.**

Then there were ten million fireflies coming out of the bushes. The moonbugs swirled and floated around in ignorance to their pain. Hopeful. The glowflies crawled over their thorns and softly blew on the wounds. Moths landed in their hair. They forced themself to focus on the soft, almost melodic humming until they fell asleep in the garden.

Leon was dreaming again.

* * *

Leon tried to keep his eyes open, he really did. Heck, he hadn’t changed out of his binder when his eyelids became lead and he couldn’t escape The Dreamworld any longer. His ribs were going to kill him in the morning, if Delilah didn’t first.

He felt himself finally land on solid dreams, and opened his eyes. The moon, in all it’s blue and dreamy glory, was the first thing he saw tonight. He had tried to replicate the moon for non-moonbloods many, many times when he was awake, but he could never quite capture the feeling on paper or canvas. The moon never waned, and there was something the waking moon didn’t have that this one did. It was basically indescribable to those who can’t get into the Lunar Colony.

He put his earbuds in and started in the direction of his night job. In the Lunar Colony, he was free to experiment with any canvas he wanted, real or not. He himself could be both the paper, and the pencil. Tonight he chose to look like himself (obviously), and also he had firefly wings. He thought fireflies were cool, and it prevented him from getting run over _again._

Tonight his client lived up high, so the wings were functional and not just for aesthetic. This particular client wanted a mural on the side of their tree that the house was built on. He was only slightly judging them for making it a glass house. Just a little. They wanted a painting of the sea. Said that it reminded them of home. His new wings fluttered at that. He could understand the nostalgia, the want to make a new home from an old one. They both craved for a home that wasn’t there anymore. He would do his darndest best for this client, and not because they offered him the equivalent of a 100 bucks in old currency.

So he got non-toxic paint and his favorite, lucky brushes, and set to work. The minutes were longer, the hours were forever. He liked it like that. They all had all the time in the world to do whatever. In the end, the sea wasn’t the best thing he ever made, but his client was ecstatic that it came out exactly how they imagined it.

 _Well yeah, ya kinda telepathied it right into my brain_ , he didn’t say aloud. But he gave them a smile and a wave as the sun was rising. They both faded in the light, returning to the Solar Colony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey darlings, don't worry this is the "worse" before "it gets better". Next part is Delilah's pov!


	3. Lorelei

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tooth rotting domestic fluff + they find Elowen in the garden  
> Lorelai: "Work Song" by Hozier

How on earth had it come to this? Delilah bounced her leg in her seat. Leon and her had been sitting in the hospital waiting room for an hour. She was scared, but refused to show it in her expression this time. She had to stay strong for Leon, who had been chewing his cuticles since they found Elowen in the garden this morning...

Delilah had just woken up to her alarm she sets every evening to the time the sun wakes up. She sprung out of bed and opened up a can of coffee, making a brew for herself and both her partners to enjoy. She put her hair up into a calculated bun, donning her hard decorative flats and smart business jacket. She poured the coffee into mugs, set it onto a tray, and made her way to her lovely’s rooms.

All as normal.

She opened her husband’s door panel first, since he was both the closest in the hallway and the longest to wake up. Of course, she knocked first. She wasn’t a barbarian,  _ unlike some people _ , Elowen. Leon stirred a little in his sleep, and she gently said his name once. He peaked open an eye.

That’s when she noticed her husband had slept in his binder. She didn’t say his name gently this time.

“LEON ESPINOZA, GET YOUR ASS OUT OF BED BEFORE I SET YOUR OTHER BINDERS ON FIRE”

An empty threat, for the record. She knew how much meant they meant to him, and they all couldn’t afford top surgery for him just yet. They were getting there soon, though.

He jumped out of bed at the sound of her voice, immediately regretting it when his ribs ached at the sudden movement. Delilah almost slammed the tray down on the nightstand and rushed to his side.

“Delilah, what the hell??” He asked, confused in his sleepiness. 

“Arms up, eyes closed.” She instructed to a bleary eyed Leon. Leon did as he was told, although it took a second. She very gently, but briskly removed the binder. Fortunately for her husband, he has small breasts, which would not (hopefully) bother him too much in just a size-too-small sports bra for an hour or so today. She got one from his dressers after throwing the binder into the laundry basket.

She marched up to him again and put the bra over his head and slipped it over his very manly cleavage, thank-you-very-much. 

“Do you want to break a rib as you sleep, Leon?”

“I’m sorry Delilah, I was so tired last night I passed out before I could hit the pillows.”

“Try not to stay up so late next time. I don’t want you accidently hurting yourself. I don’t know what I would do if I found either one of you injured. Besides, we’re a week away from getting enough cash from our goal, and then you can get your top surgery and after you recover I can finally quit my job.” She said in one long breath.

“I know, Delilah. I promise you I’ll be fine. Ok? Stop worrying so much for us.” Leon said softly as he threw on a shirt. She could tell he was being sincere, so she forced down her anxiety over them a little bit.

“Ok”, she said.

He picked up the coffee from the nightstand. It smelled delicious, and his wife had made it just the way he likes it. He genuinely grinned at her, light chocolate eyes flashing blue in happiness. She smiled right back. He took a sip.

“Thank you, my heartstring. This tastes just as delicious as it smells.” 

She blushed and coughed, reaching for her own.

Wait. Elowen would normally wake up from the yelling, both from thin walls and that they are a light sleeper. 

Panic immediately shot through them both. 

“I’ve got their room.”

“I’ll check the garden.”, they said at once.

She raced down the hall to the backdoor connected to the kitchen and the living room. She froze at the sight of Elowen, covered in half-healed cuts and sleeping fireflies. Petals spewing from their mouth like blood.  _ Oh no. Oh no no no no this can’t be happening. _

She screamed…

The rush to the hospital was a blur. At one point she remembers calling her boss to take the day off, and then calling Leon’s boss to let them know he is in a family emergency and won’t be coming in either. She felt numb holding her sunshine gingerly to her chest, very quickly wrapping Treatment Bandages over the many cuts. 

...and that’s how they got here.

Leon paused from chewing his cuticles, looking up at her anxiously.

“Did we call Lorelei??”

_ Ah, shit. _ She quickly dug into her pocket and pulled out the transmitter. She did the voice code for Lorelei. The younger, dark woman with stylized dreadknots appeared immediately. 

“Hey there Delilah! What’s up?” She spoke uncharastically cheery, perhaps she was having a good day. Guilt pooled in her gut for having to be the bearer of bad news. Lorelei must have caught on to her expression.

“Is Elowen ok?”

“We’re at the hospital. The doctors haven’t told us anything yet. I’ll send the address.” She responded. Dark green eyes watered up through the projection, but the other woman’s voice was even and strong like the oak trees she plants.

“I’ll be right there. Call me in the car if the doctors spill the beans. Tell me what happened when I get there. Bye.” And with that, Lorelei hung up. 


End file.
